Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-10


argument against thin presumption that
these Canadian horses have the trot-
ting instead Of the running action and
prediction.
HOW HORSES ACQUIRE TIE TRoTrISa
GAIT AND PREDTLEcrIos.
II in true that for thousands Of years
the horse OF the desert, being under no
necessity, upon the level plains OF his
orisinal ha6stai, TO lift his forefeet
hich when in motion, failed TO acquire
The knee action Of the trottsr But
Canada is q country covered half the
year with deep snow, and the Canadian
race OF horses, bred there for one or
two hundred years, cannot but have
acquired tie trotting habit from the
NECESSITY il has been under for genera
ton after generation of lifting high the
feet, ID getting through thesnow Mora
over. the trot is the most convenient
emit for tho horse in speedy motion IN
sll hilly countries. II is also the Only
emit that is both convenient and be-
coming fur horses in harness. Ana 50,
when Tor many generations IN succes-
sion, the thoroughbred horse has been
accustomed, as in the United States, TO
be driven in harness over q country
Astounding in hills, he changes the
habits of motion acquired in the orisi-
nal home Of his Tnce, where he never
knew what bill or what harness was,
end gradually acquiresthe trotting apt
itude and propensity.
IL has often been observed by stu
dents of the subject that thoroughbred
horses. us found in the Barbary States
of North Africa, in Spain and Southern
France, and in the European dominlons
OF Turkey, each of them billy coun-
tries, whose horses ere known in our
stud nomenclature as Barbs and Turks,
all had the trotting action and habit in
greater or less degree. They acquired
them from having been bred and used
for centuries chiefly under the saddle
but considerably in harness in coun-
tries proverbial for their rugged sur
face. Even now the best trotters that
are bred from thoroughbreds in this
country trace descent from the Strad-
ding Turk, SO called from the extra
ordinary leverage of his hind-legs,
which caused him, as it did his great
descendant, English Eclipse, to strad-
die in q most remarkable degree when
in rapid motion.
is it Surprising, therefore, that the
thoroughbred horse of our own coun-
try, bred much more largely from
Barbs and Turks than Arabs, the
great Godolphin himself being Barb
and not an Arabian, should continually
throw out evidences, as did Planet and
bis great sire Revenue, OF inherent
aptitude for the trotting gait ? have
no doubt that under systematic breed
ing and training FOR this gait, and in
harness, our thoroughbred race OF
horses will as surely attain to superla-
tive excellence on the trotting turf as
they have done on the running. Have
they not in very conspicuous instances
already done so?
THEORY CONFIRMED BY EXAMPLES.
Your instructive journal, The Turf
Eeld, and Farm, has recently illus
treted the advantage OF resortinS to
the cross with thoroughbreds in the
rearing of trotters, by most conyinc-
ing array of examples.
take the liberty OF reproducing for
the benefit of Virginia breeders list
which you have compiled of trotters
from thoroughbreds, together with
some valuable sentences with which you
introduce it. You say
1.-The great flyers, those which are
able TO carry from wire to wire high
rate of speed, trace to the thorough
bred through the male or female line.
IN the list which we print below will be
found the names of Maud S., Jay-Eye-
See. st. Julien, Phallas, Clingstone,
Oliver K, Dexter, Manzanita, jerome
Turner, Lady Thorne, Anteeo, Patron,
Wedeewood, 'Palo Alto, and Lucille.
We have not sought to make the table
exhaustive. Only the fastest perform
ers are given under the respective sires
or dams. AS so many great trotters
have been produced in the past with
the aid of the blood of the thorough
bred, it is illogical to insist that the
breeder of the future performer shall
discard entirely the blood OF the run
ner. Dogmatic assertion is not argu.
ment. The facts which we present
speak eloquently in favor of the judi
cious use of the blood of the racer in
the trotting structure.
Here follows your list OF
TRorTERs FROM THoRoUGHBREDs.